Bewildered & Bewitched
by DoodeSeriously
Summary: Ever so slowly Damon placed a hand over his heart. A small sob escaped his lips when he could feel the rhythm at a steady beat. There was only one thought in his head, rhythmically feeling its way to the surface to the beat. 'I'm human again. I'm human..'
1. Chapter 1

_After one whole quart of brandy_  
_ Like a daisy, I'm awake_  
_ With no Bromo-Seltzer handy_  
_ I don't even shake_

The witch was searching his face and he didn't like it much. Witches were creatures created to kill him, to protect others from him. And yet, here she was, granting him a wish. A wish that she didn't seem to think he truly wanted, or maybe deserved.

'Is that all you wish?' she asked as if she could read his mind.

He nodded yes.

'Yes' he voiced after a few seconds, to make her understand that this was the one wish, if he could have one. 'I wish to be human for three days. Or is that too much to ask for maybe?' The sarcasm crept its way out from his lips before he could stop himself. He was so used to not getting what he wanted anyway, so why should this be any different. His bet was that she would just pull the rug from under his feet soon enough, telling him it was an impossible feat.

'If that is your wish, so be it.' The witch sprinkled some of the ointment she'd blended together on to his face and hands. His skin twitched but he kept still, his eyes dead on the witch's face. If she tried anything at all, he'd have her neck before she'd be able to blink. But he felt nothing and she did nothing. He tried to relax.

'What was that for?' Curiosity getting the best of him.

'That is part of what will grant you your wish.'

He frowned.

'So, am I human now then?'

The witch smiled ruefully at him. Her black eyes scanning his face, making him shiver.

'You know, you haven't changed a bit since I last saw you Mr. Salvatore. It is truly remarkable. I was only a young girl then, but I remember that you helped my mama when life was hard for us. I owe you for that. But this is the only wish I will and can grant you, you know. This is a wish that will never be granted again. So I am going to ask you one last time; is this the only wish you want to come true?'

Damon let out a deep sigh of impatience.

'Yes. Now get on with it. I haven't got all day.'

'Fine. As long as we agree. Now. This spell will come to life tomorrow morn' as soon as you wake up and will cease when you fall asleep on the third night. You will be human. You will have to breathe in air, you will have to eat.' The witch gave him yet another smile that wrinkled the skin around her eyes. 'You will need to use the bathroom.' He gave her a look of distaste. 'In short; all human needs you will feel. And that includes pain.'

'Right, so you said. Now, we done here?' Damon started getting to his feet, but the look on the witch's face stopped him. He sat back down.

'There is one rule not to be broken.'

'As always with a spell, got it.' Damon said, his leg trembling in anticipation.

'You mustn't tell anyone that you're in human form. That will break the spell and you will go back to being what you are supposed to be.'

'What do you mean I can't tell anyone I'm human? Isn't that the whole point in want to turn human again, to be able to let people know?' Damon could feel his jaw tense and a dull thudding where his incisors were aching to protrude. 'No, you're gonna have to change that rule. The only reason…' He stopped himself while shaking his head. He wouldn't give that witch the satisfaction.

'Fine. Whatever. I won't tell anyone I'm human.'

The old Bennett witch took his hand in hers. He could feel the dryness of aging and long days in the sun on her. He tried to pull away but she held him in an iron tight grip. Startled he looked up at her.

'There is no coming back around if you decide to break the spell, boy', she said, inching closer to him from across the table. He was too mesmerized by her to remember letting her know that using words like 'boy' on him usually ended up with a broken neck. Or that he was older than her by at least a few decades.

'When I told you that you would go back to what you are supposed to be, I wasn't speaking of vampirism. That is not what you are supposed to be. You are close to 150 years over your lifespan. If you choose to tell anyone of your being human, you will meet true death at once.'

Damon swallowed hard. The look in the old woman's eyes was hard as steel. She wasn't joking around. He disentangled his hand and this time she let him go.

'Ok', he said quietly. 'I get it now. I'm not gonna make a sound about it.'

'Good.' The witch sat back down and folded her hands on the table. 'So you know what to do now. You go home, drink this liquid just before you go to bed. And when you wake up, remember how to breathe.' She chuckled slowly as he stood up with the small bottle in his hand. He gave her a look of disdain.

'I don't see why you think it's so funny. If you were in my shoes, wouldn't you wanna know what it would be like to be human, if just for a while?' He wasn't going to let her get to him, but he couldn't help it. She annoyed him too much.

'If it had been me, I'd have wanted to die. To choose to live for another three days as human, then to be made back into one of the living dead, I would have chosen true death any time. Life is for the living, Mr. Salvatore, not for the dead. But, just like you have been to my lineage, I am true to my word. I'm granting you this, then we are even.'

She closed her eyes, and Damon took that as a sign she wanted him to leave. He walked silently to the door before turning back to her.

'Erm, just wanted to say thanks, you know, for doing this for me.' He grimaced slightly at himself, not really being used to giving thanks to anyone.

'You're welcome', she smiled and nodded her head, still with her eyes closed.

Damon stood there for a moment before turning, closing the door behind him.

_I'm wild again, beguiled again_  
_ A simpering, whimpering child again_  
_ Bewitched, bothered and bewildered - am I_

He woke up by someone trying to choke the life out of him. He grabbed at the hands to pry them off, but to his surprise there were no hands there. He opened his eyes, but could barely see anything in the half darkness of his room. He moved over to his side, still fighting to breathe, still fighting to see, when it dawned on him. He was a human now. The spell had worked, for three days he would live, breathe and feel like a human.

Which got him thinking; breathe. He needed to breathe. He stood on all fours in bed, mouth wide open, feeling as if his lungs were exploding.

_Breathe in_, he thought desperately_. Just like you do when you smell during hunt_. His nostrils flared from the energy it took him to find the air and pull it down to his lungs. He held it there for a moment or two before he realized he needed to let it all out again.

_What the hell!_

He was standing like that for a good five minutes until he had gotten the hang of the breathing-thing. Well, sort of anyway. There were still short moments where he forgot himself until that burning sensation came back in his chest and he had to open his mouth wide and gasp for air.

_Right. Breathing done. Need to find a light so I can see anything in this room. _

He stood up and started for the doorway where the light switch was. He was shoveling his feet, treading carefully forward, but he'd forgotten about the large chest down by the end of the bed. He stubbed his right toe in the chest with quite the force, which left him numb with pain. He tried to let a sound out, any sound, but he couldn't. The throbbing ache that followed was unbearable.

Damon was holding on to one foot with both hands while trying to jump around to the bed with his other. His balance was nothing like it used to. With a loud crash he fell to the floor, using the side of the bed as a slide. He howled like a hurt animal as his elbow took the brunt of the fall.

'You motherfu…' he roared, trying to get himself in to a sitting position. He'd never been happier knowing that Stefan wasn't in the boarding house, or Stefan would've thought there was someone trying to kill Damon. Come to think of it though, Damon wasn't too sure that Stefan would burst in to stop a would-be killer.

Sitting back against the bed, still holding his toe in a death grip, Damon slowly tried to focus on more than the pain and the breathing. He needed to think, but his head felt like a bungled up mess. As he sat there, trying to relax, he realized, he could feel his pulse. Literally hear it throbbing in his ears.

He let go of his foot and stared down at his naked chest. Ever so slowly he placed his hand over his heart. A small sob escaped his lips when he could feel the rhythm at a steady beat. There was only one thought in his head, rhythmically feeling its way to the surface to the beat of his heart.

_I'm human again_. _I'm human again. I'm human again._

_

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_

**This story has been running through my mind for a few weeks now, and i just _had_ to do something about it... It was going to be a one shot, but i changed my mind at the last minute.**

**To all of you that have been waiting for updates on my other stories; they are in the making. Only a few days left now. **

**Watch out Damon is coming to an end, so I'm continuing Waking Up when Watch out Damon is finished.**

**Thank to all of You for Your patience with me... I owe You :)**

**Vic xxx**

**_Lyrics from: Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered - Ella Fitzgerald_**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews... I really really appreciate all of them!**

**I know you've got loads of questions; Will Damon be able to keep his mouth shut? Will Stefan and/or any other vampire find out? Will Damon spontaniously combust if anyone realizes he's human? Will he be able to answer truthfully if someone asks him out loud?**

**Well, since Damon decided not to ask the witch any questions, he's as much in the dark as y'all are :) *smirk* So, you're all just gonna have to follow the story to find out!**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries!**

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_Couldn't sleep_

_And wouldn't sleep_

_Until I could sleep where I shouldn't sleep_

_Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I_

Damon dragged himself to the kitchen. His stomach was literally growling. It hadn't done that, well, since he was human. And it was quite an embarrassing sound. He wasn't even sure there was something edible for a human in the large fridge, but seeing as Elena had a tendency to stay over he was certain to find something, anything.

_Elena._

The thought of her and his heart skipped a beat. He flinched. The dull thudding in his chest was still a bit too much to overcome; it would take some getting used to.

His breathing was becoming irregular again, but even though it really should annoy him, he wasn't bothered. He was too hungry to think about it.

Damon shook his head. His head was a drowsy mess and he couldn't seem to collect his thoughts properly. What was that all about anyway? Was this how it was being human? Having thoughts incoherently fluttering around like ghosts, to unreachable places in his head? Had he been like this as a human once? This preoccupied and … well, for lack of a better word; vacant?

As a vampire all thoughts were compartmentalized within the memory bank, and withdrawn from there when ever needed. There were no divided attention, no memories lost and certainly no random thoughts lingering in the crevices of his mind.

But again, the situation he was in wasn't disturbing him enough to get angry. It was as if the anger had evaporated from his body alongside his vampirism; the resentment and frustration with it.

He focused on getting something to eat again. There was a numb feeling in his hands and fingers every time he touched something and it took him a while to realize that this was just part of being human. As a vampire, everything he touched, he felt ten times stronger. Same with smell and sight. And right now he felt weak and blind.

And starving.

_Shit._

He roamed the contents of the fridge and eventually settled for some toast with cheese. He made himself a cup of coffee and sat down by the kitchen island.

This is when he should have felt elated at being human again, but all he could feel was a tremendous sense of loss. He missed being a vampire already. Frowning, he took a bite of the toast. And froze on the spot.

The toast tasted like heaven in his mouth. He took another bite.

_My god. This is amazing._

He'd forgotten how good food could taste. He quickly consumed the bread and coffee and went for another search.

Fruit. And ice cream. A chocolate bar. He found some chicken and pasta and made himself a chicken salad with some fresh tomato and cucumber. A bit of red onion sprinkled on top with salt and pepper, and he was eating pure perfection. Even the cucumber tasted wonderful.

Cucumber.

_For crying out loud._

By the time he was done he felt as if he wouldn't be able to move for a week. Not even on a killing spree had he felt this sated. Not in a hundred years.

He chuckled.

Now all he needed was a glass of the finest whiskey to celebrate.

Glancing at the clock on the far wall he noticed that it had just gone four in the morning.

_Perfect time for a drink._

After lighting a fire to warm the large library up a bit (being human certainly had its disadvantages) he sauntered over to the drink cart. He poured himself a neat whiskey and sat down in front of the fireplace. The whiskey ran smooth down his throat and he relished the sensation and the taste. Even whiskey was better as a human.

He'd always thought that all of his senses were heightened as a vampire, but obviously that wasn't the truth. Food had never tasted better. And right now, the thought of drinking blood made him feel quite… queasy.

_Hmm._

That witch hadn't been messing when she said that he'd be human through and through.

He finished the drink and got up to get a refill. He decided to bring the bottle back with him. It felt a bit of a trek to walk all the way to the drink cart back and forth, just to get a drink. Being a vampire, that hadn't bothered him a bit. Nothing had been too exerting then, unless you'd count being shot with wooden bullets or staked.

For a moment he froze. He had made a lot of enemies over the years. If anyone of them would find out about his new vulnerability…

He huffed at this strange sensation of fear. It made his skin crawl and prickle. And his heart rate was speeding up quickly.

And _this_ annoyed him. (Finally something did.)

Damon Salvatore didn't do scared.

He stretched his back and fought to get rid of the itchy feeling edging down his spine. It wasn't as if he was going to tell on himself (he didn't have a death wish, that's for sure) and who else was going to find out?

_(Elena. Elena. Elena!)_

Stefan and Bonnie were out of town for a week, Damon had seen to that. And Caroline, well, she was hardly going to come see him without Stefan as a shield. Although Damon and Caroline had come to a quiet agreement, saving each other's skin if need be, she hadn't quite forgiven him for trying to kill her. (Which was pretty fair, considering.)

But now he was screwed. All he'd wanted was for to Elena to find out. What he was willing to do for her to notice him. _Him_. Not Damon the ruthless vampire. Or Damon, the bad tempered brother. Not Damon, who was her friend or the better man (see vampire).

Just Damon.

_Seen a lot_

_I mean a lot_

_But now I'm like sweet seventeen a lot_

_Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I_

He was waiting for her outside of school, casually leaning against one of the bricked walls, hands in pockets. She didn't see him at first, as she was talking to some girl about something. They were laughing and it annoyed him that he couldn't use his vamp hearing to listen in on what was amusing her.

She was beautiful, and his heart made a series of somersaults just looking at her.

As she met his gaze, he smiled at her and unhinged himself from the wall to meet her. Pain shot through his brain at the sudden movement and he cursed himself silently for all the drinks he'd poured himself at whatever o'clock in the morning. He'd totally forgotten, that being human, drinking a full bottle of whiskey wasn't the smartest of moves to make, like, ever. He tried to force the pain away, but it only resulted in an uncomfortable grimace.

Elena smiled back at him, boldly, when she realized the state he was in. They stopped in the middle of the small school court.

Elena opened her mouth, but Damon succeeded her. At least he hadn't lost his way of knowing what she was thinking by becoming human.

'Yes, Elena. I _am_ hung over. And yes, it was a stupid move to make. And no, it wasn't something bad happening. I was actually celebrating. And no, I am not going to tell you what it is, so don't even bother asking me about it.' He tried to do the eye thing she was always scalding him about, but the head ache reared its ugly head again. He frowned slightly.

'Are you sure you're ok, Damon?' There was a bit of concern in her voice, but the smile was still lingering on her lips. Just as if she was enjoying the fact that he was hung over.

'You're loving this, aren't you?' He asked.

'No, I'm not actually. But I don't think I'll ever get over the fact that vampires can get drunk enough to feel it the morning after. Or in your case, in the late afternoon. Which gets me to my next question. What are you doing here?'

'Well, I needed myself some hair of the dog, so I thought; why not invite Elena for a drink at Mystic Grill. We haven't just hung in what seems like, well, not forever, but close enough.'

The open look on her face closed up and she eyed him suspiciously.

'What are you up to, Damon?'

He laughed lightly.

_If you only knew_.

'Nothing, I promise.'

She didn't look convinced.

'Something's up and I'm not going anywhere until you tell me. Has something happened to Stefan and Bonnie?'

'I'm serious, Elena. There's nothing wrong. I just thought, with Bonnie and Stefan out of town, we could do some catching up. I know it's not like hanging out with your BF of your BFF,' he let his eyes twinkle at her.' But I could be a close third.'

He started dragging her towards his car.

'Look, all I'm saying is; I know you're miserable Stefan leaving town, he's told me as much. But Bonnie wouldn't let me go with her, and I feel bad about it.'

(And this was the weird part, he actually _felt_ bad for her.)

'So let me just buy you a drink.'

He put his begging face on and it seemed to work because all of a sudden her face softened and she started walking on her own accord.

Fine. But just one.' She gave him a knowing look.

'I promise,' he conceded, not telling her that that wasn't part of his plan at all.

_Love's the same old sad sensation_

_Lately I've not slept a wink_

_Since this half-pint imitation_

_Put me on the blink_

'What is it with you and making me do things I usually don't, Damon?' Elena was smiling widely at him while trying, for the umpteenth time, to hit bull's eye with the darts Damon had provided her. She missed the whole board by inches and the dart bounced off and fell to the floor. He smiled at her annoyed little pout.

'Because sometimes, I'm the type of fun you need to feel alive, Elena. Or more to the point, the type of carefree fun you need as the young woman you really are.'

He turned serious.

'I see you, and you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders sometimes, and I just want you to be able to let go. And I know I shouldn't say this, cause I have a feeling it'll upset you. But the only time you let go is when Stefan's not around.' He held his hands up as she started to protest.

'Look, I'm not saying this to have a go at my brother. I know that you know this too. You can feel it, and he can feel it. And wouldn't it just be nice to have one day, _one day_, of just being Elena Gilbert, high school teen, instead of Elena Gilbert; enter drama, death or destruction, as you please? Hmm?' He tilted his head towards her.

Elena mimicked his head tilt, narrowing her eyes slightly. She was scanning his face, but he kept his features neutral, as neutral as he could, standing this close to her, smelling her fresh scent of shampoo, lingering around her like a vanilla fragranced aura.

'Fine', she said eventually, and his insides squeezed tight.

_She's staying._

'But you'd better let me win soon, 'cause I'm a real sore loser.' She stabbed a finger against his chest. 'And no more talk of Stefan.'

Damon smiled widely.

'I'm quite sure I can manage _that_.'

'You're incorrigible.'

'I know.'

Her laughter filled his heart. He loved watching her smile, and he loved the fact that it was him making her smile. It was so genuine and beautiful and it made him feel all giddy inside.

'What are you looking at?' she asked as she noticed his eyes on her, while she tried killing the dart board again.

'You', he answered bluntly.

She gave him a knowing look.

'Don't start, Damon. We're having a good time.'

He gave her an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

'I'm not starting anything. I'm just looking at you 'cause watching you having a good time and seeing you really enjoy yourself is such a rarity these days. And I'm having fun just watching you.'

Her eyes narrowed.

'You're different.' She stepped closer to him, scanning his face. 'There's something about you…'

He held his breath and his heart accelerated. He'd never get over how perceptive she was, especially when it came to him.

'Elena.' He shivered inside just by saying her name, wishing to hell and back that he could tell her. But he kept his voice even and his face amused. 'There is nothing different about me. The difference is with you. You're more relaxed than I've seen you in months, hell, since I've known you.'

She looked startled at this and then slowly shook her head.

'I guess you might be right.' She smiled wryly. 'I'm not used to feeling this… free. Not any more.'

Damon gave her an open smile, relieved that he'd managed to steer her off him and onto herself. But he was also saddened by the thought of her never knowing who he was right now. That he was as human as her, that the reason he was different was because he _was_ different.

He felt lighter than he had for a very long time, longer than he cared to remember. And there was a dull ache inside of him, the more he thought of it. This is who he'd used to be; the years before killing and maiming became sports, the years before turning, the years before Katherine.

It hurt to remember what kind of man he'd been like; the kind that hated killing so much he defected from the army, even though he knew it would dissatisfy his father. The kind of man that loved his younger brother and would do anything to protect him.

Anything.

The kind of man that, in his attempt to protect his brother had willingly agreed into turning a vampire, even though he wasn't ready to die. But for Stefan, he would have.

When Damon loved, he loved.

And right now, the reason for his heart's desires was standing less than one foot from him. He knew that if he had to, he'd die for her too.

Anything.

If it meant she'd live on.

But that wasn't to say that he wouldn't try to win her heart over in the process. Unfortunately, his plan had backfired slightly with the whole breaking of the spell-rule.

He noticed Elena staring at him.

'What?' he asked, annoyed with himself for being so easily distracted as a human. 'It's ok for you to stare at me, but god forbid if I look at _you_?'

Elena laughed one of her rare little laughs, which bounced around his body before settling in his chest, growing his heart an inch.

'I know it's just me,' she started. 'But I just can't shake the feeling that you're not yourself, Damon. You seem, younger somehow. More alive.' She scanned his face again with the same intensity as before.

'You seem more alive.' she concluded.

He started picking the darts off the floor where they'd landed after Elena's last fruitless attempt at scoring some points, hoping that she wouldn't notice the moisture in his eyes.

'Maybe today, I am,' he mumbled.

Elena hadn't noticed the change in Damon. She helped him get the last dart and handed it over to him.

'Well, I'm for one am glad that you decided to show your younger, carefree self today. I'm having fun.' She touched the sleeve of his arm. 'And I'm grateful.'

He looked at her and wished that he could just bend down and touch her soft cheek with his lips.

Instead she surprised him when she stretched on her toes and gave him a gentle hug.

'Thank you. I'm mean it. I needed this.'

She let him go and walked over to the table to take a sip of her coke. Damon swallowed hard before following her.

_So did I._

'What's next, then?' she asked him. 'Cause I bet this wasn't your only plan for today, knowing you.' She smiled innocently, but behind her smile laid a wicked spark. Damon relaxed and grinned at her.

'Well, well, well, Miss Gilbert. Do I sense a longing for adventure?'

She grinned mischievously right back at him.

'I guess I am, Mr Salvatore. So you better make it quick. This spur of the moment surge of excitement might disappear at any given moment.'

'You needn't tell me twice.' He offered her his arm after putting the darts on the table next to her. 'Off we go, then.'

Elena hesitated for the shortest of moments before sliding her small hand under his arm. She looked up at him as they started towards the entrance of the bar, and there was such trust in her eyes, Damon felt close to physical pain meeting her gaze.

Then a warm sensation filled him.

In less than one day had his pure humanity warmed her up to him, in a way his persistent chase of her hadn't managed in a year. It elated him and offended him all at the same time.

For how long had she asked for him to bring out his humanity? And for how long had he tried to put the brakes down, refusing to give in to her? Was this how easy it would have been to win her over?

_That couldn't be right._

But as he felt her warm hand on top of his arm, he had a feeling, that that might just have been the case all along.

That his humanity could be what would bring the real Elena Gilbert back to life again.

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**As always; reviews are more than welcome :)**

**Next update: Last chapter of Watch out Damon...**

**Please, check out BadBoysAreBest's story she's writing me, donated to breast cancer; Higher Than High, Lower Than Deep. Go to her site for more info about Writing in Donation for Breast Cancer. She's truly amazing and inspiring...**


	3. Chapter 3

_Vexed again_

_Perplexed again_

_Thank God I can't be over-sexed again_

_Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I_

Hidden behind his newly purchased Ray Bans Damon peeked over at Elena once in a while, to have a look if she'd started feeling anxious by him driving them south of town, further into the wooden landscape.

At the moment she looked relaxed, leaning back against the seat, her elbow perched up against the window ledge of the car, cheek in hand. Her eyes were half closed and she dreamily looked out the window at the trees flying by.

The sun was still high in the sky and Damon had the AC on full blast because of the heat.

He'd had plans to take her to the quarry, but changed his mind at the last minute. It just didn't seem like the right place to take her to. He'd wanted to show her the last place he'd been before fully turning. Show her a piece of his history. But he was quite sure that she wouldn't be interested in anything as trivial and boring as that. So right now he was aimlessly driving, but he knew somewhere there was a goal to where he was going, he just didn't know what or where just yet.

'Am I allowed to ask where you're taking me? She asked eventually.

'Nope', he smiled. She looked over at him but smiled back. Inclining her head his way, she narrowed her eyes.

'Do you even know where you're going?'

'Nope.' He laughed at her expression. 'Any suggestions?'

'I thought you were taking _me_ on an adventure, Salvatore? What's up with that?' There was still a trace of smile to her question, so he didn't think she minded at all that they had no direction.

She settled back against the seat again.

'Ok, Damon. If you turn right at the next exit I'll take you somewhere I used to go with Caroline and Bonnie when we were younger. It's a small pond where we used ride our bikes to go swimming in the summers. I haven't been there for years now. Not since I was about fourteen I think. I'd nearly forgotten the place, to be honest.'

She pointed at a small exit nearly hidden behind some bushes.

'There it is, I think.' Her forehead scrunched up a little while Damon slowed the car down to almost a stop and turned off down a narrow stony lane.

'You might owe me some paint job after this,' he joked while trying to manoeuvre the car between branches that snuck their way along the sides of the tiny road.

Elena stretched out like a cat as they stepped out of the car. Damon felt an acute need to repeat her movements; he was stiff as a board after the rough night he'd had. Another thing he hadn't thought about being a vampire; there hadn't been any need for stretching muscles. It'd been more of a reflex to look human more than anything.

'It's a lot smaller than I remember', Elena said and walked over to the small pond that lay like a black mirror because the lack of breeze due to the thick branches of weeping willows surrounding them.

Damon walked up to Elena and they were just standing side by side for a long while not speaking at all, breathing in the faint smell of grass and humidity.

All of a sudden Elena let out a sigh.

'Stefan and I broke up.' She didn't move, just kept looking at the pond when Damon turned to stare at her. 'Although I bet you already knew that. I'm glad you didn't rub it in Stefan's face before he left.'

Damon swallowed hard.

'I didn't know.'

'Well, now you do.' There was finality in the way she said it, so Damon decided not to ask her more about it. He turned back to look at the pond, or rather, at nothing at all. He was surprised her even telling him. And he was also a little bit shocked that he hadn't known.

'So, this is where you used to skinny dip with your girlfriends', he said instead, smirking in her direction. She laughed and shook her head.

'Only you to have a dirty mind, Damon. But yea, there used to be skinny dipping.'

'Tease.' He nudged her side.

'Perv.' She nudged him back.

'Hey. It's not my fault you brought up teenage girls in the middle of the woods.' Damon tried to look indignant, but failed miserably. The thought of Elena naked in the water left him feeling a bit hot and bothered, so he walked over to the edge of the pond to feel the water. It was freezing even if the air around them was humid and warm.

He shivered involuntarily and stood back up and nearly fell over as Elena was standing next to him in her bra and jeans. She was kicking her shoes off, a tiny pair of red ballet shoes, which he loved her wearing. Innocence mixed with saucy red.

And right now that innocent girl was standing in front of him, hands on hips, in just her underwear. White cotton, his brain registered, while he tried to focus on her face.

'I…' he stammered.'Wha…?' He slowly shook his head, eventually giving in letting his eyes roam her tight body and those long toned legs begging him to wrap them around his waist.

'I'm going for a swim. You in?' She raised her brow suggestively. He didn't know what to think and he had no idea how to respond. His mind drew a blank. Again, she'd managed to surprise him. And he loved it.

This new side to Elena. Or, was it maybe the old side of her? The real Elena.

'No?' she shrugged her shoulders and started walking towards the pond. 'Well, I'm going in.'

'But, it's cold', he protested weakly, staring at her firm behind, cursing himself for being such a loser.

She turned around and gave him a wicked grin.

'And I've got you to save me in case I need rescue.' She giggled before wading into the water, not seeming to notice the cold water at all.

'It's warmer when you're in,' she shouted at him while swimming out towards the middle of the dark pond. 'You should give it a try. Being a vampire you don't even feel the cold anyway, do you?'

Damon shook his head at her and grimaced.

'You know vampires feel heat, Elena. Since they're quite flammable, I think it's safe to say that they can feel cold too. Although,' he agreed, 'a vampire's skin is a lot cooler than a human's, so they're not bothered by the cold as much as you.'

'Then what are you waiting for, Salvatore?'

_He could so get used to her calling him that._

'Get in.' She smiled widely at him, her head bobbing up and down in the water.' I never thought you'd turn down a wet, scantily clad girl.' Elena's laughter pearled its way to his ears as he gave her a scalding look. He stood still for a few seconds, trying to focus on the situation. It hadn't gone exactly as he'd planned. But man, was she right. He'd never turn her down. Ever.

Kicking off his shoes and pulling his shirt above his head, he mentally chastised himself. He knew what he was doing was morally wrong, but he had only three days with her. Well, two now, since he'd wasted too many hours nursing a crappy hangover that he'd forgotten completely that he'd never get away from as a human.

He knew Stefan would never forgive him if he'd try something on with Elena. Not that he'd thought he would, until about now. But this wasn't real anyway. In a few days, it would all be back to normal; taking the back seat, alone for eternity and all that crap.

_You only live once, right?_

He pulled his jeans over his hips and could hear a loud gasp carried over the water from Elena.

'You're naked,' she exclaimed, covering her eyes while visibly treading water.

'Of course I am,' Damon snorted. He hadn't worn underwear in over a century. It was his trademark. The ladies loved it. Well, apparently _almost_ all the ladies. 'Don't tell me you're a prude now, Miss Gilbert. Too late for that. Invitation impossible to rescind, being around vampires you know the drill.' He could feel a smirk teasing its way across his face.

'Incoming,' he shouted as he ran straight into the water, while he could hear Elena's giggles turn into a loud and very unladylike laughter.

So this is what it had felt like being alive. This is what he'd been missing out on for over 146 years; Damon thought to himself as he hit the water and had to hold his breath as the cold blackness submerged him.

The water was fucking freezing his tits off, but he couldn't care less.

He'd be damned if he was going to let anything get in his way the short time he had left on the living side of life, before going back to being undead.

When he reached Elena and grabbed her waist while pulling himself to the surface, he promised himself that not only would he make the most out of all of this for personal reasons. He would do his best to make this was worthwhile for Elena too. She deserved so much more than what she'd been through, and was still going through. She deserved to be that girl again. The carefree girl. And Damon was going to make sure she got it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so very much for your reviews, story & author alerts and amazing support in this wonky story of mine :)**

**I know that I'm a bit slack on the update side, but I'm so very thankful that you're still here wanting to read when it's so long between updates. You're all so wonderful! Thank you!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Nasha233, whose support and pushing me into finish this chapter has been outstanding. Thank you hunnie 3**

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_Lost my heart but what of it?_

_He is cold I agree._

_He can laugh, but I love it_

_Although the laugh's on me._

Sliding his hands gently around her waist, she let herself drown in Damon's eyes, glittering like blue diamonds against his fair skin.

Her lips parted slightly as she focused on his mouth before looking up to meet his gaze. She creased her forehead in concern, scanning his features.

'You've got goose bumps,' she said quietly and stretched her hand out to touch his cheek. 'I didn't think vampires got goose bumps.'

Damon smiled crookedly after a second or two, making her feel stupid for even commenting.

'I've told you before; as long as vampires are on human blood they function quite like any other human.'

Before she had a chance to react, Damon jokingly threw her up in the air and she crash landed in the water with a squeal.

Elena came back up to the surface, pulling her hair out of her face, laughing while trying her best to look miffed. It didn't work since Damon was grinning widely at her, so she flung herself at him with such force, it was his turn to go below surface.

They were fighting each other playfully submerged under water, Elena trying to pry away from Damon's advances, but it was as if he was everywhere, snaking his arms around her waist. There was still the thought in the back of her head, of him being completely naked, pressing against her body in the most delicate manner, but she enjoyed it. The closeness. His cold body slithering around hers until he was motionless in front of her, his hands on her hips, and her arms around his neck.

Everything was still and quiet under water as they held on to each other. Slowly Elena opened her eyes and found that Damon was already looking at her. Her heart skipped a beat at the intensity of the moment. Her lungs were burning for air, but she didn't want to reach the surface, scared that the magic would be broken if they did.

She wanted to stay like this forever, forgetting about the world surrounding them. She hadn't felt this alive in a very long time. She felt young, and carefree and _human_. She felt like she had before everything had happened, before her parents' death, before the originals. Hell, she felt as she had before Stefan, and even that slight pang of guilt surging through her wasn't enough to wish away the fact that she wanted desperately for Damon to kiss her. To kiss away the remnants of pain that held her heart locked tight inside her chest.

As they slowly rose to the surface again, Elena leaned in and gave Damon a feathery kiss. Her lips were so cold she could barely feel his mouth against hers, but his lips softened and sculpted around hers, creating waves of pleasure in the pit of her stomach. The kiss was innocent, but it was burning inside of her like fire. Her heart was beating hard against her chest; knowing that this moment was going to change them and what they had between them for always. She held on tight around his shoulders as they broke the surface and she parted from his lips to inhale deeply. She closed her eyes, letting the fantasy linger a bit longer.

'What was that for?' Damon asked breathlessly. Elena blushed, but she brazenly met his electric blue gaze. His eyes never left hers, and though the look of surprise on his face was palpable, there was a smile lingering on his lips.

'For being here today, I guess.'

He raised one eyebrow at her.

'You guess?'

Elena scanned his face, trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture, but her head was still a bit fuzzy from the kiss and the closeness of Damon's naked body. Something about his lips sporting an odd color and the goose bumps. She felt confused. His skin was softer than she remembered Stefan's ever being. How come she'd never noticed this about Damon? It wasn't as if they hadn't touched before.

Elena felt Damon pressing closer to her, his breathing uneven, and his eyes focused on her lips.

'Can I kiss you again?' Damon whispered, almost as if to himself. Elena swallowed hard and licked her lips. Yes, she wanted him to. She nodded, and a sigh left Damon's lips. She realized he'd been holding his breath.

But she forgot all thoughts as he leaned in closer to her and softly kissed her, letting his warm tongue slide in between her lips. She opened up to him, permitting him access to taste her and the sweet scent of him made her dizzy, wanting more. She explored him in turn and he moaned softly under her invasion of his mouth. The taste of him was overwhelming and she wanted nothing more than to learn every last inch of his body. She glided her leg around his waist and she felt him flush against her in the most intimate way and she was amazed at how natural and right it all seemed. His breath caught, and he broke away from her.

'We need to get out of here,' Damon breathed hard against her neck. 'I need to get you out of the water.'

There was an edge to his voice, so she complied and they swam to the beach.

_I'll sing to him_

_Each spring to him_

_And worship the trousers that cling to him_

_Bewitched, bothered and bewildered am I_

Elena lay down on the large picnic blanket that Damon had somberly spread out on the ground for her. She squinted at Damon in the sun and watched as he slid back into his jeans, but not before she'd managed to get a peak of his firm behind. She felt naughty. There was a giggle building up inside of her, a nervous giggle, and the giddiness sent hot flushes up and down her spine. It was a very long time since she'd had this feeling of complete relaxation.

Elena found Damon looking over his shoulder at her with a mixed expression on his face. He slowly turned and walked over to her and lay down on his back beside her with his hands behind his neck. He let out a big sigh and she wondered what he was smiling at. It was a content smile, one that she'd never seen on Damon before. And she found, that it suited him.

She relaxed back against the blanket and closed her eyes.

'Didn't I tell you that the sun would be sure to warm us up again?' she said after a while. Damon was so quiet she almost thought he'd fallen asleep. But then she shook her head at herself remembering that he was a vampire, and they had a tendency to be fairly soundless. She should really be used to it by now.

'M-hm', was his quiet answer. Elena looked over at him. He kept his eyes closed and that secretive smile still on his lips. She wished she had the guts to lean over to kiss him again. There was a slight blush to his cheeks, and he looked more alive than she'd ever seen him before. She wondered if he'd managed to squeeze in a bag of blood while whipping out the blanket for her.

His voice startled her.

'The water was fucking freezing though.' He laughed and moved onto his elbow so he was facing her. 'Freezing, Elena. Think about it, what the hell?'

She smiled back at him.

'But you liked it, didn't you?'

'The water, no. What happened in the water, yes.'

Elena felt the blush starting at the nape of her neck, reaching around to pride her cheeks.

Damon lifted his free hand and traced the curve of her cupid's bow, making her tingle in all sorts of places. Her lips parted automatically and Damon met her gaze. His eyes were burning holes into her soul. He was scorching her and still barely touching her.

'I wish I could do it again,' he whispered. Then his eyes flickered to the pond and he cleared his throat and sat up, his arms leaning against his bent knees. 'I wish for many things'', Elena heard him mumble, before he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

'No time for dwelling,' he said briskly and stood up with jerky movements. 'You're probably getting hungry, and I've come prepared.'

Damon grinned down at her, while wiping sand off of him. He turned around and Elena's faltering smile died out as she watched him walk over to the trunk of the car to grab a huge cooling bag.

It felt as if he'd slapped her right across the face. Why hadn't he just kissed her? Why, if he'd wished he could? What regret was he talking about? She didn't understand. Tears burned behind her lids and she chided herself for being so touchy.

All of a sudden she felt really self-conscious in her little white cotton bra and panties. She had a look around and found her t-shirt discarded not even an arm length away.

'Are you cold?' Damon was kneeling next to her, a concerned frown between his eyebrows. She shook her head slightly.

'No, just thought I'd better put some clothes on if I'm eating.'

Damon nodded, stood up and picked his own shirt and slunk his arms through the material before buttoning it up.

'Guess you're right.' He sat back down. 'I'm starving.'

He froze for a second and looked over at Elena. At first she didn't think of it, her head still reeling from the way he'd casually turned his back on her and their shared intimacy. She tried to read the expression on his face, and then it dawned on her what he'd just said.


	5. Chapter 5

**A special thanks to aj81writing who's been acting like my beta on half of this chapter, making sure I don't eff it up too much. I was getting really frustrated with not being able to update it, so in the end, some of it will probably sound a bit off and weird, but I just had to update it before y'all shut me down for all time hahaha…. **

**Now on with chapter five… Forgive me for any mistakes.**

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_I'm a fool and don't I know it_

_But a fool can have his charms_

_I'm in love and don't I show it_

_Like a babe in arms_

Damon tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. Elena's face was swimming in front of his eyes in a daze. He was just waiting to start sizzling in the sun like a baked turkey in the oven. This was not good. Not good at all. If she realized… He was screwed.

He had to remind himself how to breathe, and tried to smile reassuringly at Elena who was looking at him with an odd expression on her face.

'Are you ok, Damon?' she asked, her voice as shaky as his legs as he tried to focus on how to open his mouth to answer her. He was still breathing. His heart was still beating. And he was still alive.

Elena said something else but the pulse was thrumming so hard in his ears, he had to ask her to repeat what she said.

'You…' she hesitated. 'You said you're starving?'

The question hung in the air for some time until he managed to spark up one of his trademark grins.

'Yea, so you better watch out, if your blood tastes as good as your kisses, who knows what I'll do.'

Damon watched Elena's features slowly relax and she smiled at him and slapped his arm gently.

She reached in the basket for the bread rolls he'd packed. She noticed the grapes as well and put one in her mouth.

Relief washed over him and his mind was reeling. How was he still alive? Yea sure, she hadn't said it out loud, but he'd seen it on her face, the thought had crossed her mind. _Human._ Would he die only if she said it out loud? If she asked him? Why hadn't he gotten all the info he'd need from that witch? And why hadn't she told him all the rules? Stupid witch. He bet she was just sitting there hoping he'd screw everything up and go poof into oblivion.

Damon ground his teeth together.

The water had been such a stupid idea. He'd nearly freaked out when she'd discovered he had goose bumps. And it wasn't as if he could've refused going after her in the water. She'd have known straight away something was up then. He was Damon _freaking_ Salvatore, he'd never ever back out of getting naked, wet and touchy feely with a girl, and she _knew_ it.

He glanced over at her. She'd wanted him to get in the water with her. _That little minx_. She was playing him, and like the fool he was, he was putty in her hands.

'Alright, Salvatore,' Elena said, dragging him away from his thoughts. 'Are you gonna have some human food as well or is it liquid diet only for you today?' She looked over at him with a grape between her thumb and fore finger. She held it close to his mouth and he licked his lips. Elena seemed to have relaxed back into her earlier mood and Damon felt calmer again. Gone was the sadness he'd seen reflected in her eyes for just a brief moment.

'For you, Gilbert, I'd have to say that liquid diet is _so_ overrated.' He bit down on the grape, making sure he caught her finger as well. Her gaze lingered on his mouth as her lips parted involuntarily.

Damon couldn't think straight with Elena this close to him, and he kind of missed being vampire in the sense that his thoughts were never scattered then as they were now. His brain couldn't divide the intense emotions that he was experiencing. One the one hand, he was still trying to figure out the spell and how not to break it, while trying out this new carefree happy version of himself with Elena. And on the other hand, lord have mercy, cause Elena's little pert bottom and luscious lips held his attention and his brain was seriously on the verge of having an aneurism, with no intervention from Bonnie Bennett what so ever.

There was something nagging at him at the thought of Bonnie, but it disappeared before he'd figured out what it was, and then he let it go as Elena closed in on him, so close he could smell the sun on her skin.

'I can't get over that there's something different about you today, Damon', she smiled and grabbed another grape and put it between her teeth. She leaned in and Damon's heart was doing somersaults in his chest.

'Like what?' he teased and put his hands around her waist and pushed her back on to the blanket, as he slowly took the grape from her mouth and gave her a closed mouth kiss, chewing the grape, savouring the sweet taste.

She looked amazingly beautiful, frowning at him, deep in thought, her damp hair curling around her face. He couldn't help himself, and lightly kissed her cheek, rubbing his nose against her soft skin. He closed his eyes as he heard a short sigh leave her lips.

'I keep forgetting what it is,' she whispered and ran her fingers through his hair. 'I keep forgetting because I never thought this would ever happen.'

He leaned back to be able to look her in the eye.

'What do you mean? This?'

Elena nodded. She kept avoiding his eyes, pulling a few strands of his hair between her fingers.

'Yea, I mean… Did you ever think that this could happen, Damon? Us, here, like this.' Elena had the decency to blush. 'We kissed, Damon. How do we ever get back from that?'

Damon shifted so he was supporting himself on his hands, hovering on top of her.

'Why would we want to get back to the way it was before?' He didn't want understand what she was trying to say. Unless…

His mood sank.

'You're talking about when Stefan gets back, aren't you? You're talking about the fact that I'm just a distraction− no scratch that− some sort of revenge at him taking off without you.'

She flinched and tried to sit back up, but he wouldn't let her. He held on to her wrists on each side of her head. For the first time since the spell he actually felt angry. And the anger burned inside of him like a blister.

'Why are you doing this? Why are you still trying to deny what's going on between us? Isn't it quite obvious what it is?' The pain in his voice was definite and he could feel Elena slipping away from him and he was desperate for it not to happen. He only had a few more days to show her he wasn't the monster everyone thought him to be. That _she_ thought him to be. He was more than that.

That's when he realized he was hurting her wrists, so he let her go, like he was scalded by her.

Damon stood up on shaking legs and started throwing everything back into the picnic basket. Elena was sitting on the ground watching him with a closed up expression on her face.

She eventually stood up and shook the blanket out before quietly walking towards the car. Just as she was about to open the door, Damon caught her arm.

'Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you.'

She met his eyes squarely.

'No, you shouldn't have.'

'But…' He continued. 'You were talking like this was a mistake, and it isn't. Please, don't tell me you'll regret this, 'cause I know I won't.'

Elena looked down and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked back up at him.

'I don't regret it, Damon. I just don't understand how it could happen.' She shook her head and he could feel her eyes searching his face for the answer. One that he couldn't give her.

'You made me feel something new today, something I haven't felt in a long time. I feel free, and I don't know how you've managed it, but as much as it makes me happy, it scares me.'

She sighed and put her hands on his chest.

'I'm supposed to feel like this when I'm with Stefan, and I don't. I felt trapped and he noticed, so he left. And now you're here…' Her voice trailed off and her eyelashes fluttered. Damon's heart hurt for her, and he wanted to apologise. For himself, for his brother. For both of them making her life so much harder than it could be.

Elena continued.

'Now you're here, and I'm glad that you are, 'cause, you make me feel alive.' She drew a deep breath and bit her bottom lip. Her eyelashes were gleaming with unshed tears and Damon couldn't help himself, but leaned in and kissed gently them away.

'I'll be here for as long as you need me to be,' he whispered against her temple. And he knew he was telling the truth. No matter what happened, he would always be around. No matter the choices she made in the end.

Looking over her shoulder, Damon could see the sun beginning its slow descent behind the tree tops. Only a few hours left, then day one would be over.

_Men are not a new sensation;_

_I've done pretty well, I think._

_But this half-pint imitation_

_Put me on the blink_

Elena didn't say much on the way back into town. She was deep in thought, and she kept sneaking a peek at Damon as he was driving, his jaw set and both hands on the wheel. She couldn't help thinking of his hands. Those strong and lean hands and his soft mouth. She didn't want this day to end. She didn't want him to drop her off, and leave her alone with her thoughts.

She knew what was happening, shouldn't be happening, but he was saving her from drowning and she wasn't about to let go of the only one capable to rescuing her.

Elena turned in her seat so she was facing him.

'Take me to your place tonight.' She could feel the car jerk slightly before he glanced over at her.

'What? To the boarding house?' His voice was filled with doubt. So unlike the Damon she knew, the Damon she was counting on not letting her down. Where the hell was _he _right now? The Damon who wouldn't give a shit. That's the Damon she needed.

She nodded.

'Yes, the boarding house, or do you have other homes I don't know about?' She tried to smile at him as he met her eyes, but failed. Her palms felt sweaty and her heart was beating so hard inside her chest, it felt like her ribs were going to break.

_What was she doing? _

She leaned back against the leather seat.

'God, I really need a drink. I haven't been drunk since…' She stopped herself. She hadn't been drunk since the last time she was alone in a car with Damon.

'Anyways, I could really use one right now.' She finished and started fiddling with a stray thread on her camisole. She was afraid looking at Damon. Mostly she was afraid that he'd reject her.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Damon sighed.

'Of course we can go to mine. I just didn't think you'd want to.'

They were quiet the rest of the way. Elena felt herself fidgeting with her seatbelt and various (very much imagined) specks of dust on her jeans, but eventually they pulled in in front of the boarding house.

Elena barely noticed as the car pulled to a stop, she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts. Only when Damon opened the car door for her did she realize they were outside of the boarding house.

'Are you coming?'

She looked up at him and nodded. Crap. She was really going through with this. All of a sudden the vast array of women Damon had taken to his home made their presence in front of her eyes, and she nearly turned around and ran as fast as she could. But she persevered.

She looked up at Damon as he pushed open the door and ushered her through to the library. Why was he making her so nervous all of a sudden? It wasn't as if she'd never been alone with him before. But this, this was different. She'd invited herself in to− god knows what it was, but it was making her very uncomfortable.

She didn't really know what to do with herself, so stood in front of the fireplace as Damon walked over to the wet bar.

'Are you sure you want a drink?' He looked at her with drawn eyebrows.

She nodded. But instead of pouring her a drink, Damon looked at her more closely. She shied away from his scrutiny as he came closer to her.

'You really don't look too well, Elena,' he said and raised a hand to her cheek. 'You're freezing.' The alarm in his voice was palpable.

'Here,' he said and pushed her towards the couch. 'We need to get you warm.'

Elena suddenly realized that she was shivering, from more than what she'd put down as nerves.

'I must have stayed in the water too long', she murmured, wrapping her arms around herself to stop herself from shaking.

She let Damon put a quilt over her legs and watched him quickly start a small fire.

He disappeared for a while and came back balancing a tray with two cups of… steaming hot cocoa and two buttered scones. Elena looked up at him, incredulously.

'Is that cocoa?'

Damon shrugged and sat down next to her while handing her the cup. She appreciatively put her hands around it and inhaled the sweet scent.

'You seemed like you needed it.'

Elena looked at him over the edge of the cup and was amazed by the softness of his usually, quite hardened features. She knew that time and hardship had made him who he was, but she couldn't quite stop thinking that there was something different about him today. An openness she hadn't noticed before.

She leaned back against the cushions and took a sip of the warm chocolate flavoured milk.

'Tell me about your childhood', she said and he looked up at her, startled.

'There isn't much to tell, really. It was a long time ago, Elena.'

'Please.' Her begging eyes found his, and he melted inside. Of course he would tell her. He would do just about anything for her. Even end up human for a couple of days just to get closer to her.

He sighed and put his cup on the table before turning to face her. She let him put his legs over hers and he stretched out his hand to her. Interlacing their fingers, he started telling her the story of a family, with a loving mother and a fearsome father and the two sons who both were looking for their father's affection as their mother passed away much too soon after giving birth to a little baby girl, who was still born.

Elena hadn't known that Damon and Stefan had had a younger sister, but she didn't want to stop him and ask questions, she could do that later on. Fascinated, she listened to his story, watching the waves of emotions rolling over his face, as he retold the story of his life as it had been a very long time ago. What captured her interest as well was the fact that as soon as he'd started talking about his family history, his mannerism and his part of speech changed, without him even noticing. She found it endearing and she couldn't stop staring at him, listening to his gentle voice like raindrops falling on soft grass.

'My twin brother, Sebastian, and I were born in 1840, seven years before Stefan. He died at the age of two, so I have no real memories of him. I remember feeling empty growing up, not understanding why, but I had this imaginary friend keeping me company. He disappeared when Stefan was born, and I never missed him afterwards. Stefan became my best friend, even though there were so many years between us. I did everything for him, catering to his every whim.'

Damon looked over at Elena as if to make sure she was still listening, before his gaze fell back to their entwined fingers. She nodded for him to continue completely immersed in the fact that he was telling her things she hadn't heard anything about before. Stefan hadn't been the most outspoken about the Salvatore history.

'Mother was weak ever since Stefan's birth, but that didn't stop her from trying again. She had always wanted a little girl. I blamed father for years afterwards, for not trying to stop her. But as I grew older, of course, I realised that when my mother had made her mind up, there was nothing that could've stopped her, not even father.'

Elena tried to hide a smile.

'Much like someone else I know,' she couldn't help but comment. Damon smiled ruefully.

'Yes, I was very much like my mother in that department. Also, I looked like her. She had black hair and blue eyes, like me. She used to always wear her hair up, but sometimes, at night when my father was still in the smoking room, she used to let me brush it. It was so soft and she always smelled of this sweet perfume. Whenever I smell it somewhere, I still think of her.' A fleeting smile shadowed his face. 'The smell of roses.'

It made Elena think back to the time when Damon handed her a rose, before smelling it. Had it reminded him of his mother then? Elena had to stop herself from reaching out to touch him, afraid that she might put him out of his reverie.

'When mother died, father changed. He stayed away from home, and the odd times he came through the door, he ignored me and stayed focused on Stefan.' Damon's eyes flashed in a sudden burst of anger, but his voice stayed calm.

'I could never understand father's obvious dislike in me. Not until I overheard him talking to one of his friends. I reminded him too much of my mother, so he was planning to send me away. It was Stefan who stopped him from doing so. I still don't know how he did it; Stefan was only twelve at the time. But father still kept his distance to me.'

Damon sighed and let go of Elena's hand.

'Look, I must be boring you with this. It's just history, nothing to know. My mother died, my father hated my guts, my brother and I…' Damon stopped suddenly and he narrowed his eyes. 'You just want to find out more about Saint Stefan, don't you? How he's always loved me and how he's always been there for me even when I turned my back on him?'

The sarcasm was back in his voice and Elena shook her head.

'No. I want to know about you. What you were like, before…' She stopped herself, but Damon was already on to her.

'Before Katherine, you mean?'

'Yes, yes before Katherine.' Elena tried to smile, but Damon's face was closed up to her again.

'Listen Damon. Not everything is about Stefan. Not everything is about Katherine. I want to know _you_, before everything. Yes, I want to know what you and Stefan were like with each other when you were…' She still had a hard time saying the word out loud.'… alive. But it's because I want to know about you, not Stefan. In that case I would have asked you to tell me about _him_.'

Damon watched at her for a moment, seemingly trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. She should feel a little upset, him not trusting her, but this was Damon, having him opening up at all was as big a victory as it could get. Eventually his features relaxed, and yet again she found her hand in his. He was gently massaging the palm of her hand and her already jagged nerve endings were playing some serious hide and seek with her mind. She tried to concentrate on Damon telling her something about his father's attachment to Stefan, while she leaned her head against the back of the sofa. She could feel her eyes grow heavier as his soft voice slowly lulled her to sleep.

Damon lifted his eyes up to Elena's face when he heard her breathing grow heavier. He smiled as he carefully tucked the blanket closer to her, afraid he might wake her up. As he rose to leave, her small hands reached out for him and pulled him back down towards her in her sleep. Cautiously, Damon slid in next to her and put his arms around her. The sofa wasn't wide enough for the two of them, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.

Day one over.

He let himself be pulled into the first proper sleep in over 150 years, not including the alcohol induced night before. And this first night had to be the most perfect, lying next to Elena, feeling her warmth against him. This had to be the most perfect, just because she was there with him, not wanting him to leave.

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**Remember; reviews equals love. I know I might be late with replying but i always try to do so... Life is hectic sometimes being a single mum.**


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